Poll

Government

Candidates are scarce in most non-partisan races for the November election a week away from the filing deadline.
The May primary has up multiple races in the general election for county offices, including judge-executive, jailer, clerk and magistrates, pitting a Republican against a Democrat.
However, non-partisan candidates who would like to run for mayor and city council or commission seats in Williamstown, Dry Ridge, Crittenden or Corinth have until 4 p.m. Aug. 12 to file.

Kentucky General Assembly’s 2014 regular session may have ended months ago, but several new laws passed will finally go into effect July 15.
The state constitution specifies that new laws take effect 90 days after the adjournment of the legislature, except for general appropriation measures and those containing emergency or delayed effective date provisions.
The General Assembly’s 2014 session adjourned on April 15, making July 15 the day that most laws will take effect.

A week before the end of the 2013-14 fiscal year the Dry Ridge City Council approved amending the budget to add $40,000.
The additional funds were allocated to the Dry Ridge Fire Department, upping its appropriations for the year to $1.028 million.
Chief Tom Jump said before the first reading of the budget amendment that he did not intend to use all of the funds and any remaining would be put back in the city’s general fund.

The filing deadline may still be two months away, but the first candidate for a non-partisan city race has turned in his paperwork.
Vincent S. Stephens has filed to run for mayor of the city of Dry Ridge.
The May primary has set up multiple races in November for county offices, including judge-executive, jailer, clerk and magistrates, pitting a Republican against a Democrat.
However, non-partisan candidates who would like to run for mayor and city council or commission seats in Williamstown, Dry Ridge, Crittenden or Corinth have until 4 p.m. Aug. 12 to file.

The votes have been tallied and the local political matchups are set for the November primary election.
For county judge-executive, Republican Steve Wood will face off against Democratic candidate Richard Austin, a long-time magistrate on the Grant County Fiscal Court.
Austin handily won his primary race with nearly 50 percent of the vote against three opponents.
He led the pack with 1,179 votes, followed by 469 votes for Shirley Wilson, 411 for Anitra Jump and 307 for Keith Ellington.

Grant County residents could soon be getting a phone call from the Northern Kentucky Health Department asking for their input.
The health department will be sponsoring a random telephone survey beginning July 21 to gauge the community’s perceptions of health-related issues.
The 15-minute survey, which the department will conduct overt two weeks, can be answered by any adult age 18 and older.
Both cell phone and land-line phone numbers will be included in the survey sample.

A captain at the Grant County Detention Center was still on the job days after being found guilty of domestic violence charges.
Steven Skinner, 27, and his wife, Michelle Skinner, were both charged with fourth-degree assault April 17 after an alleged domestic dispute with his wife.
A Grant County jury found Steven Skinner guilty on the charges July 31. He was ordered to pay a $500 fine and court costs, but no jail time or probation.
After Skinner’s arrest, Jailer Terry Peeples said, if convicted, Skinner would be fired.

(Editor’s note: This story contains sexually-explicit allegations in a lawsuit filed against the Grant County jailer.)
Terry Peeples is accused of sexual assault and harassment in the latest lawsuit filed against the Grant County jailer.
Peeples, who is seeking his second term in the November election, has had previous lawsuits filed against him by at least six former employees since taking office in 2011.

The Ark Encounter received good news last week when the Kentucky Tourism Board gave approval to $18 million in tax incentives.
The board unanimously voted on July 26 to approve sales tax incentives for the theme park, which is being constructed off Ky. 36 in Williamstown.
The Ark Encounter is another development of Answers In Genesis, a conservative Christian non-profit that also operates the Creation Museum in Boone County.

Garbage scattered on the banks of Boltz Lake prompted Wanda Hammons, magistrate of the 2nd district, to work with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife, Grant County Judge-Executive Darrell Link’s office and Jailer Terry Peeples to clean up the area.

Inmates from the Grant County Detention Center in the Class D program visited the lake Aug. 5 and picked up trash and debris, as well as mowed and did some weedeating.

Maintenance crews from the fish and wildlife are assigned to Boltz Lake and visit at least twice a year.